


Love Wins

by Lif61 (UltimateFandomTrash)



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, F/F, Love, Nightmares, Post-Season/Series 05, Post-Season/Series 05 Finale, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Season/Series 05, Season/Series 05 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:29:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24277408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UltimateFandomTrash/pseuds/Lif61
Summary: After saving Etheria, Catra suffers from nightmares. Adora is always there to help.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 129





	Love Wins

**Author's Note:**

> _  
>  **SEASON 5. HOLY SHIT.**   
>  _
> 
> __  
> **AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!**  
>    
> Okay, carry on.

“Cast out the shadows. Cast out the shadows. Cast out the shadows...”

The chant vibrated through the air, sickly green light taking over the cold metal space of Horde Prime’s flagship. Catra tried to move, but when she looked down, her feet were in the horrible amniotic fluid used to create and brainwash the clones. It swished around her with a disgusting warmth, and it tingled against her skin, seeping through the gray and white clothes of Horde Prime. As she continued struggling, unable to move, Catra felt her eyes tearing up. The back of her neck ached.

“No. No,” she begged. “No. Come on.”

“Cast out the shadows...”

Horde Prime rose from the verdant depths, two of his four eyes unblinking. Just cold, malevolent.

“Cast out the shadows...”

“Little sister.”

An all-too familiar hand was on her shoulder, and Catra yowled, skin bristling, tail fluffing up to three times its size. She drew her ears back, tried reaching for the hand on her to scratch. She was grabbed from behind.

“Cast out the shadows...”

Horde Prime’s sharp, metallic pointer finger ran under her chin.

“Cast out the shadows...”

“Adora doesn’t want you,” Shadow Weaver’s voice, deep and ominous, whispered in her ear. “Give in. Become one with the Horde.”

“Cast out the shadows...”

“Little sister, join me in the light.”

Just as the pain in her neck grew unbearable and she was screaming, she was no longer on the flagship. And she was all alone. Too alone. The unforgiving metal and red heat of the Fright Zone surrounded her. Catra, holding her arms close to herself, started walking down one of the deep, dark halls.

Something moved behind her.

She whirled.

No one was there, but more darkness.

“Hello?”

“You really think Adora wants _you_? _You?_ You pathetic child!” 

Catra spun to face Shadow Weaver. Hands clenched into fists, tail bristling, ears laid back, she said, “You don’t know _what_ Adora wants!”

“Oh, don’t I?” Shadow Weaver taunted, circling Catra. She flickered in and out of being. Everything was too cold. “I raised her.”

“No, you _abused_ her!” Catra argued. “And you abused me!”

No response came from the shadows.

A wonderful, beautiful laugh sounded down the hall, but it echoed, echoed, till it became a terrible thing that scraped down her spine.

Wary, Catra traveled closer to it.

“Adora?”

And there she was, even as the hall grew longer, stretched on and on. Adora was there in her pink jacket, her hair in a high ponytail, that stupid hair poof she loved so much just above her forehead. But she had turned to her, and her smile seemed fake, plastered on. Forced. And the eyes weren’t hers, weren’t the sharp, clear gray of a pale spring morning that Catra had grown up staring into. They were the glowing blue of She-Ra.

Catra faltered, stepping back.

“Adora...?”

Shadow Weaver appeared behind Adora, and Adora’s smile turned into a cruel smirk. Light pulsed from her chest. The failsafe.

“You don’t need her, Adora. Even Hordak knew Catra was a failure. She is _weak_. _You_ are _strong_. Cast her out.” An ominous pause filled the silence, and Shadow Weaver went on, “Kill her.”

Adora raised her hand, crying, “For the honor of Grayskull!”

There was blinding light — gold, and white, and all-encompassing. When it faded, Catra’s eyes were watering, and Adora — no, _She-Ra_ — stood before her in the full majesty of her godly height. Power thrummed from her. The failsafe beat in her chest. Shadow Weaver urged Adora forward, dark magic reaching up as viny tendrils to cradle and caress her shoulders.

Catra looked up at Adora, stomach dropping to her feet, ready to cry. There was no true light in Adora’s eyes, no recognition that this powerful being knew who Catra was. She was dirt to be scraped off a boot.

“Kill her.”

“Adora, please, don—“

Before she could finish speaking, the Sword of Protection was driven straight into her chest. Through her ribs, puncturing her lungs, and skewering her heart.

Catra’s breath caught, and she couldn’t breathe her last, not with a ruined chest cavity. Shadow Weaver’s dark magic ran up through Adora’s veins, turning her eyes black. And behind the mask, Catra just knew Shadow Weaver was smiling.

“Join me, little sister,” Horde Prime whispered from behind her.

Catra slid off the sword, fell back into Horde Prime’s embrace, and began to drown in amniotic fluid. Adora-controlled-by-Shadow-Weaver stood high above her.

“Cast out the shadows. Cast out the shadows. Cast out the shadows...”

“Join in the light of Horde Prime.”

Catra was screaming. It had awoken Adora, and she’d reached for her staff, years of training and pure instinct kicking in. But they were just in Adora’s chambers in the palace of Bright Moon. And they were safe. Catra still screamed.

Adora dropped her staff, and curled her body tight around Catra. Her lover’s strong tail whacked hard against her, body retaliating. Her fingers twitched, claws gleaming in the starlight. It was like she was trying to fight something.

“Catra, please, you have to wake up,” Adora begged. She squeezed her hard around her middle, closing her eyes tightly. She was She-Ra, but not even She-Ra could stop nightmares. “Catra, please!”

Catra let out one loud, final cry, and her elbow jammed back hard into Adora’s diaphragm. Her air left her in a _whoomph!_ , and she instinctively let go to put her arm over her belly.

As she did that, Catra rolled over, her hands clasping over hers. Adora winced, knowing she’d bruise, but was starting to get her air back.

“Are you okay?” Catra asked, voice calm and radiant in the darkness of the room.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Are you...?”

Catra pulled away and faced away from Adora again. She rested her head on her bent arm.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Adora reached out for her shoulder, and she felt the tension wound up tight within her, the sweat on her skin. Lying back down, she caressed a hand across her forehead and into her still-short hair. It was growing back after what Horde Prime had done to her, almost enough to cover the back of her neck now. But her Catra still wasn’t back to normal. Maybe neither of them ever would be. They’d gone through too much.

“Okay,” Adora eventually relented after having a long-winded argument with herself about whether she should push or not. With Catra, pushing wasn’t the right answer. She needed softness, security, to be held. The time for pushing had gone, been destroyed with Horde Prime, and had even died with Shadow Weaver. They were free. Adora went on, running her fingers through Catra’s hair, “Just... know that I’m here for when you need to talk.”

“I won’t need to,” Catra refuted in a bitter mutter.

“Hey, we’re not in the Fright Zone anymore,” Adora soothed, pressing her legs close against Catra’s. She ran an arm under her and then around, hugging the bare skin of her waist. “You don’t have to hide your feelings. The Horde’s gone. Shadow Weaver’s gone.”

“I know they’re gone,” Catra snapped. Her body was still rigid against Adora’s.

“You’re not weak.”

Catra clawed herself out of Adora’s grasp, almost fell out of the bed, and then clambered to her feet. Her tail was swishing through the air. Adora sat up now, and she waved her hand to signal the lights to turn on, but remain dim.

“How do you know what I am?” Catra asked accusingly. “You don’t. You were always the strongest, always Shadow Weaver’s favorite, _always_ the one to _save the day._ ”

Adora had been reaching out for Catra, but pulled her hand back, as hurt bloomed in her chest. Whatever was going on, Catra wasn’t alright. She needed her.

“Where is this coming from?” Adora asked.

Tears built up in Catra’s eyes, and she squeezed her eyes shut. A heavy sigh left her before she turned and sat down on the bed, hard, holding her knees to her chest. Her tail thumped against the space on the mattress beside Adora’s legs.

“Shadow Weaver won,” she eventually said, voice raw and scratchy with emotion. “Horde Prime won. And you...” Adora saw Catra’s claws begin digging into her skin, drawing blood. Adora rushed around to get in front of her, leaning down. She grabbed Catra’s hands, letting her hold them too tightly. Her lover, her best friend, her family, her life; averted her gaze as she finished, “You killed me.”

“Catra, I would never—“

“I know,” she quickly got out. “But it still hurts. Horde Prime, and Shadow Weaver, they got to you. They got to _me_.”

“Catra,” Adora insisted, “ _no, they didn’t._ It was just a dream. We won.” She cupped Catra’s cheek in one hand, eyes brimming with her own tears. “Love won.”

Catra relaxed against her, stance softening, muscles going almost limp. Now sitting cross-legged, she pulled Adora into her lap, motions swifter than ever. Adora let out an _umph!_ of surprise as she found herself straddling Catra’s lap. Their foreheads rested together. And Adora could practically feel the smile on Catra’s face as she ceded, “You’re right. We did win.”

“Yeah. Yeah, we did. So...” Adora squirmed in her lap. “Are you going to be okay?”

Catra quickly leaned forward, stealing a kiss. Her soft, warm lips were gone before Adora even knew what was happening. A rumbling purr vibrated through Adora’s body coming from Catra, and Catra came in for another kiss. Adora reciprocated, kissing her with intent, but like they had all the time in the world. They did. They were going to have a life together.

Her lover pulled away, smiling broadly, pupils large with delight.

“I am now.”

Catra fell back, pulling a laughing Adora down on top of her. The two of them squealed and laughed as they rolled around on the bed, kissing.


End file.
